We are looking to go to London after Thanksgiving for 4 nights. Having never stayed there we are looking for hotel recommendations. Budget is $300US a night preferably city center or at least a location near a tube station.. Budget could be a little higher given the exchange rate and tax. We have looked at the Egerton house hotel in Knightsbridge . Any help would be appreciated.

I gather that being close to public transport is one of, if not THE biggest factors other than cost, is that correct?

Have you looked at any booking engines like Booking.com or similar? Booking.com has the facility of putting in a budget level before you search and you can then refine that by the level of previous traveler approval.

We have used hotels like the Amba Charing Cross in the past but I think it is beyond your budget.

I liked the Strand Palace Hotel for location, but you might be able to get something even nicer for that budget. (Mine tends to be closer to $200/night.) But I can recommend the Strand Palace.

Booking.com is a good site to use. And Janisj is an expert on London... she may have a good recco, though I think she often stays long enough to rent an apartment.

Have fun!

We're staying at the Melia White House next week. It's well under your budget so it may not be as upscale as you're looking for. It was recommended to me by my sister who has stayed there in the past and then again week before last. She says the rooms are small but well-appointed.

It's a great location at Regents Park and near several tube stations, the Great Portland station being the nearest. Here's the website:

http://www.melia.com/en/hotels/unite...use/index.html

I checked and 2 of my 3 favourite hotels are within your budget

The Renaissance St. Pancras is about $310 per night at current exchange rate but the price may well drop. Its right on top of a tube station!
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...-hotel-london/

The London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square is about $280 per night.

I used Nov 25-29th as sample dates.

The Churchill is a bit more expensive bit may well drop in price.

Of course, if you like the hotel but wanted more room and were willing to spend more, they have suites and apartments too.

Who is "we"? If you need one room with one bed for two people, that's totally doable. I've used londontown.com with good success. I prefer the Bloomsbury area myself; it's central and walkable to many things, with good public transit links (close to St Pancras [regular train] if you're flying into Gatwick, and the Piccadilly tube line has three stops in the area if you're flying into Heathrow). But you can easily go with several areas in the city center with that budget.

Not sure if this link works, but if so:

http://londontown.com/hotels/results...582308919c8ad9

The Melia is nice but for such a short visit I wouldn't stay there -- it is a bit out of the centre and isn't convenient to LHR.

The Renaissance St. Pancras is a wonderful property. The rooms you would get in that budget are in the more modern Barlow wing and not the truly fabulous historic bldg. Or . . . you could luck out like I did. Paid £220 for a Barlow wing room . . . and they upgraded me to a suite that normally runs nearly £600. It was a DREAM

You actually have a fairly generous budget if the £ / $ exchange stays steady or even improves, which is possible. Right now it is nearly £230.

I would look at Londontown.com and booking.com.

Some of the most central neighborhoods would be Bloomsbury/Russell Square, Covent Garden, South Kensington (not Kensington), St James's, Mayfair/Knightsbridge (mostly too Pricey), Victoria, and parts of the South Bank.

janis, the The Renaissance St. Pancras is gorgeous! We're meeting one of my SO's former students there for a drink. Her husband was one of the leading architects of the reno. Unfortunately, he won't be able to join us but I'm really looking forward to seeing it. When we were there last, it wasn't open yet.

Check out St. Ermins. It's a Marriott property but has lots of old world charm (and spy history) and is in a great location.

I personally was disappointed in the Renaissance St. Pancras. I didn't love the location and it's big and impersonal with lots of people coming and going (due to it's location in the station).

It is truly fabulous - of course it helps when they put you in one of the poshest rooms in the place

Here is an extract from one of my (really) long TRs:

>>Welll . . . I arrive at St Pancras and after faffing about looking for the hotel (i did know exactly where the hotel is but the signage in the station is pitiful and how to get there from the concourse isn't easy) I was giving up and about to walk out on to Euston Rd to come back in the hotel's front door when I found the only sign near the glass lift. Wheeled my little carry on through the lovely lobby and a very nice woman at the registration desk chatted for a while "I've always wanted to stay here - but for just one night decided the Barlow wing would be fine. Someday I'll try to stay in one of the historic rooms. blah blah blah." After about 5 minutes she winked at me -- yes winked(!). "Oh, Ms janisj - the hotel is totally booked. So we've placed you IN A SUITE IN THE HISTORIC WING"

OMG <B>OMG <red>OMG</red></B> -- I have never seen such a massive room in London. Easily 20 foot ceilings. Huge bed. Chaise lounge. Couch. Three 18 foot windows out over Euston Road w/ floor to ceiling drapes. Fireplace. Dressing table at the end of the bed w/ truffles and three kinds of mineral water. Enormous marble bathroom w/ an 8 foot tub and two person shower. Ell around the corner w/ a table/chairs and built in bench. The bench seat raised and there were various ports and electrical sockets of every type I've ever seen -- UK/Continental/US/OZ etc.

When I unpacked I decided to hand wash the blouse and undies I'd been wearing for 27 hours before heading out. I rolled them in a hand towel but they were still pretty wet and I hung them on the shower door. When I returned a couple of hours later -- turn down service had been done, all the various decorator pillows/shams were stashed away someplace, more truffles, biscuits . . . and my laundry was totally dry and hung in the closet??? How did they do that? Ask me if I loved this place . . . HECK YEAH . . .

. . . My Eurostar is early in the AM so I requested a 06:30 wake up call. I woke up on my own about 0615 and decided to stay in bed til the call came. 0630 and nothing. 0635 and there is a knock at the door. There stands a butler (a BUTLER ) . . . apparently last night when I made a phone call I had put the receiver in the cradle wrong so when they tried to phone me - nothing. And w/i 5 mins there was my wake up at the door. Did I say I love this place <<

Well there you go. I got a standard room and had the tiniest window I've every had in an equivalent hotel. Kind of like a porthole looking out at the British Library.

I suspect your experience doesn't typically go for $300 US.

On the other hand, I've stayed at the Marriott County Hall and had an amazing view and a comfortable room.

>>I suspect your experience doesn't typically go for $300 US.<<

I thought that is what I said . . .

janisj, I was happy for you just rereading your comments. What a wonderful upgrade!

You have some great suggestions here.

We loved our recent stay at the Montague on the Gardens. It is about a block and half walk from the tube station. We stayed in one of the smaller rooms which was quite comfortable. The staff and the lovely public rooms and delicious breakfast made our stay so enjoyable we hardly wanted to leave the hotel to explore London!

Cliff, the Egerton House is very very nice. If it's within your budget, I wouldn't hesitate.
It's between Knightsbridge and South Kensington tube stations, close to the South Kensington Museums, and in a very nice quiet street just off the main road. Lots of restaurants in the area too.

Ditto for both the Montague on the Gardens and the Egerton House. Both are very nice and in convenient locations.